


My Baby Star

by Bofur1



Series: Child's Play [7]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Baby Dwarves, Bofur is a Sweetheart, Brotherly Affection, Feels and Humor, Gen, Hair, Introspection, Kid Fic, Stargazing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-22
Updated: 2013-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-05 11:58:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1093624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Bofur1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bofur met his little brother, he was fascinated and quite impressed with the soft shine of his baby skin. Then he hears that Bombur will grow hair and becomes a bit worried that he won't ever see the shine again. Naïve child that he is, Bofur comes up with a plan to keep Bombur aglow. </p><p>
  <span class="small">
    <em>The reason why Bombur has that peculiar bald spot on his head!<em><span class="small"></span></em></em>
  </span>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Baby Star

“Who’s m’ butterball brother? Ye are, Bommy!” Bofur crooned, gently pinching the soft, pudgy cheeks of the baby in his lap. “Th’ cutest lil’ babe in th’ world, ye are!”

Bromur and his wife Joniver had introduced their elder son to younger three months ago, but Bofur was no less fascinated by Bombur’s wide eyes and tiny fingers and toes, not to mention the sweet baby sounds he made. It had been love at first sight and Bofur didn’t ever want Bombur to change. He was utterly adorable!

What fascinated Bofur the most was that Bombur had barely any hair. Then, as he began to think things through, he became a bit concerned for his brother, asking Joniver if Bombur would be what society called a ‘naked’ Dwarf.

“Oh, no, love,” Joniver soothed his fears. She gestured to the silky hair under Bofur's small nose. “He’ll start growin’ a moustache soon, just as ye did.”

“A’right,” Bofur sighed. He paused a moment before adding wistfully, “I just hope he stays bald on th’ top.”

Joniver startled. “Why on earth would ye hope that fer yer brother?”

Bofur giggled. “Because when light comes in th’ window, I can see Bommy’s head shinin’ just like th’ jewels Adad finds in caves! I like it! Hey, I’ll bet if I did up Bommy’s head with th’ shinin’ stuff Adad uses on the jewels it would—”

Joniver cut him off with a laugh. “What silly ideas ye have, love. If ye feel this way, ye’d best prepare for th’ time when yer brother grows up.” Her expression turned thoughtful as she mused mostly to herself, “He’ll likely have a copper mane like yer father...”

Bofur’s eyes widened in alarm. “Why does Bommy have t’ grow up? Why can’t he stay just like he is?!”

“Because,” Joniver answered incredulously, “if he didn’t, he would be a naked Dwarf forever!”

Bofur remained unhappily silent. He didn’t mind Bombur growing hair, per say, he just wished there would be one bald part that would still be there for him to kiss when he said goodnight.

That night, hard though it was, Bofur kept his sleepy eyes from closing. He had to wait until Adad returned from his late work shift.

Bromur did return, the scuff of his muddy boots against the doormat alerting his dozing son to his presence. Bofur scrambled behind the hearth chair just as Bromur passed, tossing his work bag onto a chair.

When Bromur was in bed with Joniver, Bofur stood silently and crept toward his adad’s work bag. What he wanted had to be in there! Standing on tiptoe, Bofur found the bag’s handle and began pulling it onto the floor where he could look inside. The contents jostled a bit, causing Bofur to freeze in fear, but no one came out to shout at him.

Taking a deep breath, Bofur began rummaging inside for a particular can. He didn’t know how to read, so the labels were alien to him. He opened each can, sniffing its contents. The stuff he wanted smelled like bitterly strong peppermint and tickled his sinuses until he had to rub his nose. Ah, there it was.

Bofur then approached the cradle in which his brother lay sleeping. A patch of moonlight was crawling through the window, allowing Bofur his vision. Digging his fingers into the shiner, Bofur carefully began rubbing his brother’s head with it. When he was finished, Bofur gasped in delight as Bombur’s velvety skin shone like one of the stars.

“Maybe they aren’t really stars,” Bofur whispered to the infant. “Maybe they’re th’ heads of other babies that shine that bright! Ye’re m’ baby star, Bommy!”

He made it a habit to wait up for his father and sneak into his bag to get the jewel-shiner for Bombur’s head. He would admire it afterward for a long while before kissing his brother’s cheek and sneaking to bed.

As the weeks passed, Joniver and Bromur were becoming perplexed. Bofur had become even bouncier and Bombur started growing hair on all of his head—except the very crown.

“Somethin’ must’ve changed in these past few weeks,” Joniver announced to Bromur, suspiciously narrowing her eyes at the bald spot on Bombur’s head. “But I don’t know what it could be! I’ve been bathin’ him just as usual and nothin’s changed in his diet, but somethin’ killed the hair folicles right there!”

Bromur shrugged. “Maybe it’s some kind of hair condition, Joni. It’s not much to worry about—”

“Hi, Ama an’ Adad an’ Bommy!” Bofur cried as he burst into the room. Clambering over toward the table on which Bombur was sitting, he stood on a chair, threw his arms around Bombur’s chubby form and firmly pressed a kiss onto the bald spot. Bombur cooed happily at his brother’s appearance, reaching out to touch the whiskers on Bofur’s chin. Bofur laughed, poking Bombur’s button nose before he leapt down and was off again outside.

Joniver and Bromur looked to each other and shook their heads.

 

**_MANY YEARS LATER._ **

 

“Doesn’t it shock ye, Bommy?” Bofur asked softly without turning.

Bombur paused for a moment upon hearing the old nickname; this meant that Bofur was in a contemplative mood. “Doesn’t _what_ shock me?” Bombur asked at last as he worked himself up the slope to stand next to his brother.

Bofur kept his eyes on the stars. “How things have changed. Sometimes I’m still amazed that we lost both Ama an’ Adad, that Bifur took us in...then th’ axe, yer marriage an’ children, an’ now this Quest.”

Bombur hmm-ed in agreement. “We grew up.”

Bofur turned slightly to look at Bombur. His eyes twinkled and his moustache twitched a bit as his lips curved upward. “Still, some things nev’r change.” Grasping Bombur’s thick shoulders, Bofur bent him forward so he could stand on tiptoe and kiss the bald spot on his head.

There was a moment of silence as Bombur straightened himself, his eyes asking a question that he knew Bofur probably wouldn’t answer. Then Bombur took a breath.

“Well, I’d best get some sleep before Thorin and Gandalf make us start running again in the morning.” So saying, he turned and began making his way back down toward the others.

Bofur sighed in candid satisfaction as he watched his brother leave. “G’night, m’ baby star,” he murmured under his breath. “Just sayin’, I still think ye’re adorable.”

 


End file.
